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We're thrilled to introduce our 2026 Archives to Screen Film Fellows!

Three incredible storytellers ready to bring Muslim history in Canada to the screen.

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Zehra Nawab

Zehra Nawab is a director and actor. She is a recipient of the Archive to Screen fellowship 2026 by Muslim Media Hub. She co-directed the documentary film Mad Mad Mad Filmy World, which is part of the permanent collection with the Contemporary Art Gallery Vancouver. Her documentary, The Dance of Resistance (2027), is a grant recipient from Academy Award winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (SOC) Films. Her documentary Home Truths was part of the German Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, and short film Farzana, which she co-directed, was a recipient of the Canada Council for the Arts. Zehra is a GEMS Directors Lab fellow 2024 and has pitched at Toronto International Film Festival’s TIFF Big Pitch.

Tamer Abdalla

Tamer Abdalla is an emerging documentary filmmaker and strategist interested in history, identity, migration, and the stories communities carry across generations. His background spans public policy, youth and community work, and strategic consulting in digital media and entertainment. Fluent in English and Arabic, Tamer is currently developing documentary projects exploring Sudanese history and diaspora, as well as the overlooked histories of Black Muslims in Canada. His work aims to combine rigorous historical research with intimate, character-driven storytelling, making complex histories accessible through deeply human stories.

Elaf Khan

Elaf Khan is a Pakistani-Canadian director and artist based in Toronto. She graduated with a BFA Hons. in Film Production from York University in 2024. She has a great love for production design, documentary and experimental films, and gravitates towards telling poetic and visually striking stories from a feminist lens. Elaf's award-winning directorial debut 'P for Patriarchy' was made in her last year of undergrad, and it screened at notable festivals like Female Eye (FeFF), Oakville Festival of Film and Arts (OFFA), and Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (MISAFF). She is passionate about exploring contemporary issues and themes related to gender, identity, and community in her creative work.